Winner of the Small Business Trends 2013 Small Business Book Award for Leadership

“What impressed us most about Bill was the clarity he brought to complicated business issues. Bill’s book The Facts of Business Life does just this; it discusses the priorities business owners need to concentrate on to be successful. The life cycle Bill describes is brilliant and brings clarity where there was none. His book makes business ownership easy to understand for the rest of us.”

“Bill McBean has both the experience and the acute insights to give entrepreneurs the must-know basics in an easy-to-grasp way. He does just that with The Facts of Business Life, which provides an invaluable ‘long view’ on what it really means to be an entrepreneur. Businesses, like civilizations, have particular life cycles. This is the first business book I know of that is structured around the customary life cycle of a company and the skills required at each juncture. I especially like the author’s thoughts on ‘building-in’ your exit strategy early on.”

Steve Forbes, Chairman and Editor-in-Chief, Forbes Media

“Being in business for yourself is not only a part of the great American dream. I feel it is the best way to work, live, and succeed. Unfortunately, when you start or acquire a new business, it doesn’t come with an owner’s manual. In The Facts of Business Life, Bill McBean has created a road map and a guide designed to take us all from where we are to where we want to be.”

Jim Stovall, Bestselling Author Of The Ultimate Gift And The Ultimate Financial Plan

“Many people have common sense, but few people can turn common sense into uncommon success. Bill McBean is one of the few who can. As a successful businessman, Bill has demonstrated an uncanny ability to maintain integrity and honor in both his business and personal life. And because of that, his employees love to work for him, his customers trust to buy from him over and over again, and he endears himself to his friends. His book is a must-read and should not be limited to just entrepreneurs, but to individuals who are running any type of organization.”

Jess Cole, Pastor of Grace Community Church, Corpus Christi, Texas

“Bill McBean is the consummate business executive. Just ask the manufacturers he represented so successfully, the competitors from whom he regularly grabbed market share, or the employees who were fiercely loyal to him. But Bill also has an amazing capacity to reflect on his business experiences and convey the lessons he’s taken from those experiences. The Five Levels of Business Success is a perfect example of this. It’s Bill’s concept—simple to understand and makes perfect sense. Two of these levels, ‘Creating Your Company’s DNA’ and ‘Moving On When It’s Time to Go,’ are worth the price of a dozen books.”

Fritz Kern, Former SVP and General Manager, U.S. Passenger and Commercial Vehicle Operations, American Isuzu Motors

“Bill has a wonderful business mind and has an uncanny ability to cut through the ‘noise,’ clearly see a problem or opportunity, and then attack it. His businesses are successes because he is a visionary, a leader, a motivator, a focused manager, and because his employees believe in him. And when you read his book you’ll know why: Bill sees the complete macro picture of owning a business and puts it all in an orderly, easily understood, sensible format.”

Tim Keen, Vice President, Sonic Automotive

As a Co-Captain of the 1989 Stanley Cup Champion Calgary Flames, I learned that practice doesn’t make perfect, perfect practice makes perfect. The same has held true in my business career. The Facts of Business Life gives you a road map, a plan, a framework to apply to your business so that you employ perfect practice as it relates to your company. The book can be read chronologically or randomly and provides value on the area of focus you wish to zero in on. Read it and win your own championship.”

“…If you’re a would‐be entrepreneur or a business owner embroiled in the day‐to‐day business of business, there’s not much that speaks to the full life cycle of what it means—truly means—to be an owner, manager, CEO, and board chairman. That’s where Bill McBean comes in.”

Ken Fisher, New York Times Bestselling Author

“Understanding the entire realm of business—marketing, sales, costs, employees, and products—is a trait few business owners have. But Bill McBean can not only see the whole picture, he understands the small things as well. And this is reflected in his book The Facts of Business Life, particularly in how he describes the Seven Facts and why they are important singularly, and then shows you the real strength of the ‘Facts’—how they work in tandem with each other to create great success. Add this to the description of the Five Levels of Business Success and the result is a source of great knowledge to business owners large and small. A must-read business book.”

Ted Oakley, Director, American Bank

“From a banker’s perspective, this is a book every business owner should read. The business lifecycle concept alone is worth the price of admission. Bankers will always respond more favorably to clients who can pinpoint their financial needs and understand their business, their market, and their opportunities. This book shows the client how to do this. The Facts of Business Life is not only a must-read for every business owner, it’s a must-read for every banker.

“Bill McBean is a self-made businessman. He started with little and turned it into a lot. I’ve been able to closely watch how he takes troubled businesses and turns them into successes, then uses their collective successes to create a competitive advantage in the market place. Bill is a competitor who attacks a market with preparation, skill, and determination. His book is a must-read for every business owner, because the Seven Facts of Business Life and the Five Levels of Business Success are the summation of his four decades of experience and success, and a tribute to the great business owners who mentored Bill. Level Five, ‘Moving On When It’s Time to Go,’ is a must-read, because Bill’s exit was as good a one as I’ve ever seen.”

Tony Noland, Former President and CEO, NCM Associates

“Bill McBean is humble, honest, has a great sense of humor, and is a sincere friend to all of us here at his alma mater. He was and is a hardworking professional and a leader amongst his peers. It is little wonder that this former captain of his hockey team is now a captain of his team in the business world. The Facts of Business Life explains how Bill has taken some of the hard lessons sports teaches and uses this knowledge in his business career. Particularly telling is the ‘War Zone’ business fact that tells about the competitive spirit needed to succeed, or the ‘Business Fact’ concerning the importance of ‘protecting your business assets,’ which reminded me of how critical defensive play is to winning and becoming champions. Bill’s book is not reserved just for business owners; it should be read by any manager in any occupation.”

Bill Seymour, Former Athletic Director and Men’s Hockey Coach, University of Saskatchewa

“Bill McBean is a classic entrepreneur with ‘street smarts,’ book smarts, and a tremendous will to win. His success as an athlete, a small businessman, and a highly respected multi‐franchise retailer gives him credibility to be heard and valued.”

Mike Maroone, President and COO, AutoNation

“Bill is a great businessman who delivers a strong message—simply and to the point. The Seven Facts of Business Life gives owners the priorities they have to concentrate on to be successful and profitable. The Five Levels of Business (and/or owner) Success is something I’ve never thought about, but makes perfect sense and gives me a structure, or boundaries, to work within as well as a clearer focus on where I am and where my business is headed. When you read the book, you quickly recognize why Bill was so successful, and there is no doubt you’re talking to a business owner who has been where we are and won the battle. This is simply the best business book I have ever read.”

Dave Resendez, Director, Texas Towing Association

“Most entrepreneurs are not born with the knowledge to run a successful business, so the right place to start is some business training in school, or some practical work experience in a business of your interest, prior to starting your own company. Jumping into a business area you don’t know, because you see a chance for big money, is a surefire path to disaster. I also found a wealth of books are available to address the basic facts of business life, like one I just finished by Bill McBean, aptly named “The Facts of Business Life,” based on his forty years running large and small businesses. Bill does a great job of outlining the key facts.”

Martin Zwilling, Business Insider

“Bill is one of the best business owners I’ve ever come across. I think so much of his ability that I seek out his opinion on my own business issues and have referred some of my best clients to him for his expertise. Every page of The Facts of Business Life has something owners can use in their business, but I particularly found the ‘War Zone and Marketing Facts’ to be especially powerful, as are the levels on ‘DNA Creation,’ ‘Opportunity and Its Analysis,’ and ‘Maintaining Success.’ This is a great book, and the way Bill describes the business ‘life cycle’ concept was a like a ‘light switch’ being turned on—it made so much else make sense. It will be a wonderful gift to my customers and a great introductory tool for my sales force to pass out to prospective customers.”

Tony Fincannon, CEO and President, Dealer Associates

“As a successful hands-on entrepreneur, Bill has done a masterful job of presenting the essential elements for successfully running and growing a business. His presentation is straightforward and compelling, and anyone who owns, manages, or is considering starting a business should grab a highlighter and start reading his book.”

Mike Lewis, CEO, OfficeArrow

“The Facts of Business Life: What Every Successful Business Owner Knows That You Don’t is written especially for the entrepreneurial-minded reader. This book outlines easy-to-use lessons to tackle any problem related to business life and how to ensure business success. This book will show the entrepreneur what it means to be a business owner and how to succeed.”

Seattle PI

“Reading this book was like sitting at the feet of a master telling you what you need to know to run a successful business. Try The Facts of Business Life: What Every Successful Business Owner Knows That You Don’t by Bill McBean. You will not be disappointed.”

Small Business Lady

“Fortunately, The Facts of Business Life provides readers with the means of achieving the kind of long-term understanding that is the key to true and lasting success. McBean explains what needs to be done to create success, how to do it, and when to do it.”

Examiner

“The Facts of Business Life is a book written in a very unique way – it’s layered. This is very interesting because the book delivers these lessons in a similar way to the way they are delivered in real life – in layers. … The Facts of Business Life is a great book to add to your reading list as you prepare for 2013 and beyond.”

Small Biz Trends

Excerpts from The Facts of Business Life

In my 40-plus years in the investment business—most of which has been as head of my own firm—I’ve read over 100 books on starting and running a business—some useful, others less so. Most business books fall into one of two camps: how to start a business, or personal ruminations on business leadership from some widely recognized figure. There’s nothing wrong with either, and many of those are great, but if you’re a would-be entrepreneur or a business owner embroiled in the day-to-day business of business, there ’s not much that speaks to the full life cycle of what it means—truly means—to be an owner, manager, CEO, and board chairman.

“I highly recommend the very practical and successful results oriented book The Facts of Business Life: What Every Successful Business Owner Knows that You Don’t by Bill McBean, to any business person, regardless of whether they are new to business or have years of experience, and whether the company is a start up venture or an established organization. This book contains so much valuable advice and real world tested wisdom, that it is a must read for anyone with any connection to business who seeks critical insights into how a business is really operated successfully.”

Blog Business World

“This book is a must-read for all entrepreneurs before starting any business.”

BlogCritics

“The Facts of Business Life is a valuable resource for business owners no matter what stage a firm is in. By reading this book, you will learn how to ensure that you are able to run a sustainable business.”

Networking Insight

“The Facts of Business Life, McBean explains the seven facts that profitable business owners use every day to run their businesses and to stay ahead of their competition.”

Kevin Kruse

One of the Best Five Business Books of the Year, a must read for entrepreneurs or those wanting to be one!